CNMI concerned about impact of US Military

The Northern Marianas government says it is concerned with the US military's impact on the territory's environment.

Saipan, CNMI Photo: Supplied

The US Navy has recently proposed several projects in the Marianas which require compliance with the National Environmental Protection Act.

It has moved to use nearly a million square miles of ocean for the world's largest live-fire training range, and taking the entire island of Pagan for military training and bombing.

The government has made a submission to the Act and the spokesperson for the governor, Ivan Blanco said they were worried that live-fire training on Tinian and Pagan will seriously affect the islands.

"Our water, underground water, when the munitions are on top of the ground, and then they seep right through, our coral reefs when they do their landing crafts, and when they do the live fire bombing, that will affect our species on land.

"We have fruit bats which are endangered and the snail."

Mr Blanco said the Navy needs to do more to comply with the Act, and if change doesn't occur it's going to be difficult for his office to give approval.

The Navy are currently considering the 27 comments submitted to NEPA and will be adding a supplement to their study in March or April.